Retirement

One definition from dictionary.com is: the act of retiring or of leaving one's job, career, or occupation permanently, usually because of age.

So when should retirement take place? The age reason can be looked at a couple of ways. One is that as we get older our skills diminish which leads to a lack of production in whatever field of work we are in. Another way age enters the equation is at some point we probably want to enjoy what time we have left in this world without having to get up and go to work every day. I want to focus on retirement from the standpoint of making a decision based on factors other than just reaching a certain age.

Let’s look at the professional athlete. Age is usually a determining factor only because as our bodies get older the physical skills needed to perform at a professional level diminish. There is no set number that athletes are required to retire when they reach that mark. 40 is an age that gets looked at as a “time to hang it up” age. Then you have guys like Tom Brady who reach that age and continue to perform at a high level with no real end in sight. I’ve heard Mike Golic on the Mike and Mike show (now Golic and Wingo) on ESPN say that some guys get to retire when they want to and other guys get retired by not being able to find a team willing to employ them (something like that). As fans we often want our great players to go out on top. Walk off the field after winning a championship and ride off into the sunset. However, sometimes it doesn’t happen that way. It is very difficult for a successful athlete to walk away from a sport when they feel they are still able to have success or at least help a team have success. A few greats that come to mind are Willie Mays, Chipper Jones, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Dan Marino, John Elway, and Brett Favre. Seeing Willie Mays finishing his Hall of Fame career in a uniform other than the Giants just didn’t seem right. Same with Montana, Rice, and Favre. It would have felt better to the fans if those guys would have finished their careers with the teams that they were most successful with. On the other hand, Chipper Jones, Dan Marino, and John Elway did retire with the teams they were with that made them famous. Those situations just seem to have a nice packaged ending. Of course Elway’s was the best of these because he left after winning back to back Super Bowls. The point being that each of these highly successful athletes retired when they thought it was time. That should be the determining factor when it comes to retirement. When you get to make the decision then it’s the right one. I haven’t mentioned anything about money. The potentially millions of dollars that might have to be turned down in retirement can’t be overlooked but putting that aside I am more concerned about when is it “time” to retire. If Chipper wanted to find a team where he could bat 8^th and come off the bench and play a few games then more power to him. Once again, we want our greats to retire at the right time, we just have to hope their time and out time are in sync.

Why even talk about retirement anyway. Well, it has come to my attention that another blogger out there is contemplating retirement. Back in the day when the newspaper was our main source of information you would have reporters and columnists. The reporters were really supposed to just give us the facts and leave their opinions out of it. After putting your time as a reporter some exceptional writers would get the opportunity to write a column which allowed for more of an opinion on a subject. Obviously truth was important if you wanted to back up your point but you did have the freedom to insert your opinions into the article. With the advent of the internet anyone with a computer and a connection could become a columnist (blogger). In the newspaper world there were editors who at least in theory were supposed to keep writers in line. In the blogging world that position doesn’t exist. It becomes the reader’s responsibility to filter through the junk and pull out the meaningful material. My initial purpose for entering the blogging world was to help keep one certain blogger in check. Spewing all kinds of venom on the internet cannot be allowed to go unchecked. What I discovered is that it takes quite a commitment to post your thoughts (no matter how ridiculous they are) on a regular basis. Since widespread access to the internet is an invention that happened in my adult life, it is hard for me to quantify what defines a successful run as a blogger. If for instance, you have had a run of five or more years, 1500 posts, are linked to multiple other blogs, and have a worldwide following, then perhaps that could be considered a successful blogging career. Hall of Fame??? Maybe. Maybe it’s time to retire, or maybe it’s time to bat 8^th and come off the bench occasionally. The demands of recognizing everybody’s birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion can give way to just posting meaningful thoughts on an as needed basis. Of course since we can be anybody we want to be on the internet maybe a retirement followed by a rebirth as someone else would be in order. All things to think about as retirement is considered. Either way, make the decision that works for you, the fans can and will get over it.

Sonny

Case for Brad

My first thoughts on this subject were developed about half way through the college basketball season. While a lot has happened since then my overall view has remained the same. The Brad I am talking about is Brad Brownell, head coach of the Clemson men’s basketball team. He has come under fire this year for the lack of victories on the court. At about the mid-point of the season the shouts for his removal began to increase in volume. My position then and is still now, that any decision on his future should be made at the conclusion of the season and not during. At that time I believed that he should be retained in spite of the number of losses that were beginning to mount. Almost every loss this season was a close loss and in many of them the Tigers had an opportunity to win on the last possession, either by making a shot or defending one. Since the season has ended the athletic director has already decided to keep Brownell as the head coach. I still agree with that decision. Let me try to explain why.

First, I find it very unfair when coaches are hired into unfavorable situations and then let go just as things begin to improve or just before they have had a chance to turn the tide. For instance, there are countless examples of coaches being hired on the heels of the dismissal of a coach for violations that led to program sanctions. I don’t think people realize the effects that loss of postseason appearances and loss of scholarships have on programs. It is difficult enough to recruit and compete at a high level when everyone is on a level playing field. To win with sanctions against your program is difficult. It takes time to recover from those years. Too many coaches are fired after 3 or 4 years when their success on the field hasn’t produced the number of wins deemed acceptable. When that happens you get one of two results. Either the new guy comes in and has success, which points to a firm foundation laid by the guy you just fired, or the new guy has to start the process all over. If case number two is true then that guy better watch out because he will be let go in 3 or 4 years also if he hasn’t reached the number of wins required.

Brad’s case is one in which he inherited a program that was on a firm foundation, but one that couldn’t advance deep into the tournament even when they would make it. He took them to the tournament his first year but since then it has been NIT bids or nothing at all. Littlejohn was just renovated and the new facilities should help with recruiting which is where we need to improve if we are going to improve on the number of wins on the court. Clemson has always had a few exceptional players. The problem has been the lack of them all playing on the same team. I find little value in the recruiting services ratings of high school players. What catches my attention is who else wants them. In football, for instance, I don’t really care about the number of stars after the kid’s name but rather are they receiving offers from the Alabama’s, FSU’s, USC’s, Ohio State’s of the college football world. There are always players that aren’t highly thought of that Dabo and his staff get and develop into NFL type players. Clemson basketball does that as well. The difference is our guys are rarely listed with offers from Duke, UNC, Kentucky, etc. New facilities and consistency in coaching staffs help when trying to recruit top notch players. That is why I think Brad deserves more time to show what Clemson has to offer and that these great players can achieve their goals by coming to Clemson. Patience is a virtue. Always going after the hottest young coach doesn’t always work out the way you want it to. Dabo is once again a perfect example. While he was young he certainly didn’t have the “experience” as a head coach or even a coordinator that one would think was a requirement for a position as Clemson’s head coach. There are no Clemson people (especially those who witnessed the ‘80s) who think Clemson is anything less than a top football program. That sentiment was true even before last year’s national championship. There is a history of sustained winning to back that up. Basketball does not have that sustained history. There have clearly been flashes of success but no one in their right mind would say we are the same type of program as the Duke’s and UNC’s of the world. An acceptance of who we are as a basketball program is not an acceptance of losing. It does require, however, patience along the way to that greatness we all want. Having a guy that runs a clean program, has players that are invested in the community, and wants to be here is enough for me to extend his contract with the expectation that just finishing in the middle of the pack in the ACC, while is still a good accomplishment, is not the standard we want for our program. I think Brad understands that and will continue to move us in the right direction. Just remember this year’s Final Four. The school to the south would have had overwhelming support to fire their coach after this season. Now they want to extend his contract. Patience. If they can do it there is no doubt we can too.

(This post was written over a period of about 7 weeks so it is a little choppy but I think I get my point across.)

goat or GOAT

So, it’s been a while since I decided to post my thoughts on a topic. In fact, it has been almost three years since I posted a copy of a sermon I preached when our minister was away one Sunday. I guess it is time for another mini-sermon. Quite honestly, it may be another three years before I post again. I don’t know and I really don’t care if it is.

The decade of the 1980’s was a great time in sports history. My thoughts in this post are not necessarily about that decade as it compares to other decades but that decade as the time in my life where it is arguable that we are most impressionable. That decade saw me through middle school and high school and the first couple of years of college, so it was a time where a lot of my values and opinions were first established. Over time, life experiences may have strengthened those values or changed them into something different. Nevertheless, those years give me a frame of reference for how I view things, sports in particular. For instance, when growing up if someone asked me to come up with a list of goats, I would immediately think of players like Bill Buckner, Scott Norwood, and Chris Webber. If you don’t remember those names, Buckner was the first baseman for the Boston Red Sox in 1986 who let a ground ball go through his legs in the World Series leading to a game seven which the Mets won to take the crown. At the time, the Red Sox were the team that hadn’t won a title since 1918 so the pain and suffering of losing was compounded by how long it had been. Scott Norwood was the kicker for the Buffalo Bills who missed a field goal that would have given the Bills their first Super Bowl title. That happened to be the first of 4 Super Bowls in a row for the Bills, none of which they won and the others were not even close games. Chris Webber of the “Fab Five” Michigan basketball team infamously called a timeout in the National Championship game against UNC. Unfortunately, Michigan did not have any timeouts left so the ensuing technical foul essentially gave UNC the title.

Fast forward to just a few years ago when I heard the term goat and Michael Jordan uttered in the same breath. Based on my 1980’s education I almost had a stroke at the thought that there was someone out there who thought MJ could have ever done something negative for his team, especially at the magnitude of the aforementioned athletes. It was then that my teenage son (or pre-teen depending on how long ago this was) educated me on the definition of goat. It is actually an acronym GOAT – Greatest Of All Time. Who knew? Apparently, every social media junkie since the first Facebook post, Twitter tweet, and Instagram upload. Since I don’t participate in those playgrounds of the devil, I missed the transition from goat to GOAT. Now every day in the sports world of talk radio, Sports Center, and social media posts, that term is attached to some retired or active player based on whatever whim the poster or talk radio host wants to use. That is what led to me expressing myself in this post. Let me explain…

Tom Brady’s Super Bowl performance, Serena Williams and Roger Federer’s recent Grand Slam victories, Lebron James and his current success in the NBA all put these athletes in the discussion of GOAT. My intention is not to support one of these over the others deserving consideration, but to discuss the qualifications for the title of GOAT. I am less concerned about what metric you want to label as the most important as I am about the consistent use of whatever you deem important. Let me explain…

In the upcoming NFL draft there are several QB’s who are being rated to determine who should be drafted first,  Deshaun Watson, Mitch Trubisky, and DeShone Kizer to name a few. It is the raking of these quarterbacks, or at least the discussion of them that “gets my goat.*” (hehe) They talk about the “measurables” which usually means height, weight, and a list of other physical measurements. There is mention of statistical accomplishments and that is certainly considered as important. However, what seems to get just a passing mention is the ability to WIN. Don’t tell me that the most important thing in a quarterback when you are deciding whether or not to draft him is how tall he is, arm strength, TD/INT ratio, total yards passing, etc. and then when the discussion turns to the GOAT it becomes about “the rings.” Tom Brady has incredible QB stats but what gets him in the discussion, and quite frankly now at the top of that discussion, it the number of Super Bowl wins. He was drafted in the 6^th round while a guy like Dan Marino was a first round draft pick. I submit that Marino is in the discussion as the GOAT but if you ever talk about him and his outstanding, HOF career, it always comes down to, “But he didn’t win any Super Bowls!”

To all you draft room warlords out there, you better not forget the 1998 NFL draft. That year a second place Heisman finalist who happened to be a cerebral quarterback who could make all the throws and had a history of winning was chosen over a highly touted “measurable” quarterback. Looking back, can you believe there was actually discussion as to who was the better quarterback, Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf? This year there is a second place Heisman finalist (a whole other discussion on the ridiculousness of that result) who is not only a cerebral quarterback who can make all the throws, but also one who can use his legs…and WINS the big games. Those qualities coupled with the character of the man make Watson the best choice for QB. I don’t care if he is the first pick in the draft (I actually hope he isn’t unless the Browns trade that pick) but he should certainly be the first QB taken. For all you social media fanatics out there who can’t understand the written word…

#DW4 – Heisman, 1^st QB pick, GOAT. Disagree? KMA

*Some would argue the term is goad but there is at worst disagreement on which it is and at best acceptance of either term. Goat is funnier in this context obviously.

A Heart for God

1 Samuel 16:1-13

16 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” ² Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ ³ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.” ⁴ Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” ⁵ He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶ When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.” ⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” ⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” ⁹ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” ¹⁰ Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” ¹¹ Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” ¹² He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.” ¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Let us begin today’s message by looking back at the history of Israel up to this point. During the years leading up to the life of Samuel the Israelites were ruled by a series of Judges of which Samuel was the last one. Unfortunately, over the course of about 300 years they began to stray further and further away from God. Their priestly leaders, who were charged with the spiritual welfare of the people, were essentially becoming obsolete. The people stopped coming to be cleansed and refused to turn from idols. The priests were still in good standing with God; it’s just that the people no longer sought God so the priests were no longer an effective means of mediation.[1] So Samuel’s role became one of prophet, the voice of God to the people, instead of a judge. The first seven chapters of 1 Samuel tell the story of Israel’s plunge into disarray. It is at one of the lowest points of the nation’s history that the people begin to request a King, like the other nations around them. Up to the point they were led by God through leaders like Moses and then governed by the judges, but God was their “King.” They had already turned from God, but this was a self-serving request by the people. Basically, they believed one of them could do a better job of leading the nation than God himself. Samuel was not too happy about this request. In chapter 8 we read, “Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, ⁵ and said to him, “You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.” ⁶ But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to govern us.” Samuel prayed to the Lord, ⁷ and the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. ⁸ Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. ⁹ Now then, listen to their voice; only—you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.” So Samuel warns them that a King ruling over them is not what they want but they insist anyway. Aren’t we like that sometimes? We insist on getting our way with God. We might pray over and over for something we want, and we might even try to convince ourselves that it is what God wants, but ultimately, it is our will we are seeking, not God’s. The Bible tells us that God grants Israel’s request and Saul is chosen as their leader. The next few chapters tell us about the reign of Saul. There are examples of times when God instructs Saul on what to do and he does it. Then there are times when Saul alters God’s plan in order to accomplish something for himself. The final straw, if you will, is when Saul refuses to completely wipe out the Amalekites, a nation that has gone against God’s people ever since they came out of Egypt. From that point on God rejects Saul as Israel’s king. However, Saul is not immediately removed from power. That is what makes Samuel’s next task so daunting. This is where out passage for this morning picks up.

We read that Samuel is instructed to anoint the next king of Israel. Notice how the chapter begins. God is asking how long Samuel plans to grieve over Saul. Remember Saul isn’t dead yet, Samuel just knows that God is no longer with him. I imagine his grieving is probably both for Saul and also for the people of Israel. So now God wants him to go and choose the next king before the current one is dethroned. Now some of you are sports fans I know so perhaps you have heard the term that has become popular over the last few years known as “Head Coach in Waiting.” This has been used as a way to hire a top notch assistant by promising the head job to him when the current coach retires. This is generally used when the current coach is nearing retirement but that date has not been set. In spite of all intentions to the contrary, there has to be a sense of tension as one guy waits for his turn and the other guy is holding on, maybe too long, to his. That tension certainly exists between Saul and David later on so Samuel’s reluctance to be a part of this is understandable. Nevertheless, Samuel after protesting for fear of his own life, agrees to go to Bethlehem to anoint this son of Jesse as the Lord requests. Even the elders of the town fear that something is wrong when they see Samuel coming. Verse 4 states “…The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, ‘Do you come peaceably?’” When Samuel states that he is there to sacrifice with Jesse and his sons there must have been an audible sigh of relief.

Verse 6 begins the process that Samuel was sent to do in the first place. It is also at the heart of today’s message. “When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.” When they came in, so at this point no one has spoken, no interviews have been given, no references checked, just a first impression and already Samuel has concluded that surely this is the man I am to appoint. How must he have looked? He was tall, handsome, physically fit, perhaps facial features that reflected some amount of wisdom. After all, he was the first of seven sons about to pass before Samuel so he surely had a few years on him and was by all accounts a perfect specimen for a king. Yet verse 7 goes on to tell us what Samuel is missing. ⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Not only is Samuel surprised that this isn’t the one, I would imagine that all those gathered were shocked. Have no fear; however, Jesse has more sons to present before Samuel. As each one approached and each one was rejected there must have been questions swirling around everyone’s head. When finally the last one in attendance gets rejected Samuel questions Jesse.  “Are all you sons here?” I don’t believe that Samuel knew there was one missing from the feast; I just think he knows God sent him to anoint a king, a son of Jesse, and God certainly would not have sent him only to reject each one. So Jesse tells him there is one more but he is keeping the sheep. How should we look at that? Someone had to keep watch over the sheep so the responsibility falls to the youngest. If the purpose of this gathering was to anoint a new king then surely this young boy wouldn’t be the one anyway so just let him stay out with the sheep. Now if this isn’t my younger brother’s favorite Bible story then I don’t know what would be. Here we have the oldest son being presented as the logical choice to be the next king only to be rejected. And the youngest son, almost as an afterthought, left in the fields while the rest of the family enjoys a feast and sacrifice actually being the chosen one. Samuel tells Jesse to send for him and that “…we will not sit down before he comes here.” When he does arrive and is brought in the Lord said, “‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one’¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.” One thing about verse 12 intrigues me. David is described as ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. A description like that almost goes against what I was thinking. When we hear someone say God looks on the inside, we assume that means the outside must be something not worth looking at. This description, however, does not show that. Upon further review, it does make sense to me though. Handsome wasn’t what God was looking for. If it was then Eliab would have fit the bill and this process wouldn’t have taken so long. It only proves that it was David’s heart that God saw and was pleased.

So God looks on the heart. The question posed by the title of the sermon is, “Do we have a heart for God?” What exactly does that mean? Let’s start with this example. I was watching Big Bang Theory the other night. If you are not familiar with that show it is a very funny, though perhaps not a church appropriate, show. One of the characters, Sheldon, has a mother who is a Bible believing Texan and is not afraid to express that in the company of others. Anyway, Sheldon’s roommate, Leonard, had just given poor advice to a friend about how to treat a girl who he had recently been in a relationship with. Leonard’s goal was to appear to be giving good dating advice to a friend when all the time he was actually giving what he thought was bad advice so the date would fail and he would get another shot at dating the girl himself. When he verbalizes his regret over his actions Sheldon in classic form states, “For what it's worth, my mother says that when we deceive for personal gain, we make Jesus cry.” It probably isn’t too much of a stretch for any of us to think back to a time when we intentionally gave bad advice. What makes it difficult for us mortals is that we can’t see the heart like God can. Sometimes our outward actions look the same but the inner intent might be totally opposite. For example, let’s say you have a friend who asks you opinion on a new dress. You answer the dress looks great. Now, let’s suppose that you really don’t think the dress looks good, but that is how you answer. On the one hand she is your friend and she just spent a lot of money on this dress, she’s real excited about it and you don’t want to hurt her feelings so you tell a little white lie and say the dress looks good. Perhaps that is a noble thing to do. It’s just your opinion anyway. Maybe others will think it looks good. You are looking out for your friend’s feelings. On the other hand, let’s say you know the dress looks bad but you know if you say it looks good she will wear it out that night and look ridiculous making you look better. On the surface the comment is the same, but underneath the outward expression is an inner motive that might escape your friend, but not God.

We have to be careful when we make preconceived judgments on outward appearance. Have you done that lately? Any thoughts like these ever creep into your mind?

•     She’s beautiful so she can’t be that smart. She just gets her way because she looks good.
•     He’s black, white, Hispanic, Asian, etc…so he can’t be smart, must not be able to run fast or jump high, is taking American jobs, can’t speak good English so must be illegally here. You fill in any derogatory comment you want in here.
•     He is Muslim, Jewish, Hindu or even Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, etc. so…

Make no mistake; we all make judgments on first impressions. You know the expression, “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.” That whole first impression thing works both ways. Sometimes our initial evaluation of someone is very positive only to find out later that inside the person is really a mean person. Other times we get a bad feeling about someone only to find out later (after we take the time to get to know them) that they really do have a good heart. Regardless, what is usually the first impression; the physical appearance. That is why we wear our best suits to interviews. When we walk in the door the evaluation has already begun. It is natural human instinct to look on the outside first. After all it is literally the first thing we see. That is why Samuel thought he had the next king when the first son came in. But God sees all. The challenge for us is two-fold. We have to be careful not to look at others and base our impression of them solely on that of appearance. Take the time to get to know that new co-worker or neighbor. Perhaps you will find that they have a heart of gold. But not only that and maybe more importantly, we need to make sure that when others see us, they see a reflection of Christ in us. The only way that happens is for us to seek God from the inside out. We need to develop our heart for God. If we do then the rest will take care of itself.

Let us pray.

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[1] Steadman

Super Bowl

Time to update my link on I’m Just Sayin…

The Super Bowl is over and a lot has been said about individual players more so than each of the teams. Peyton Manning and Richard Sherman, for instance, have gotten a lot of the press lately. For the record, I like both of these players. I was watching the interview after the NFC Championship game when Sherman went off on Michael Crabtree live as it happened. My initial response was that is completely unnecessary. Incidentally, Sherman after the fact, agreed. However, when you stick a microphone in the face of an intense player after a game clinching (and Super Bowl berth) play, what happened should not have been surprising. We ask these players to play with a ferocious intensity between the lines, and then ask them to turn it off when the game is over. That is exactly what Sherman does. Anyone who can graduate from Stanford (in three years, I believe) ain’t no dope. His demeanor off the field is very professional. Those who took to Twitter and other Social Media to criticize him in a brutal fashion only show their own ignorance, that same ignorance that they accuse Sherman of having. It is not unlike sticking a microphone in the face of a Tony Stewart or other emotional driver right after someone put them into the wall at 200 MPH.  “How do feel about almost losing your life?” Are we really surprised when those drivers start dropping the F-Bomb? Well you shouldn’t be. What happened with Sherman is EXACTLY what FOX, NBC, CBS, ESPN, etc. all want to happen. When you wait to interview players and coaches in the pressroom after they have had a moment to decompress, it takes some more prodding by headline seeking reporters to get most of them to spout off at the competition or maybe the refs. Get them in the heat of the moment and somebody better have their hand on the 8-second delay dump button. Ratings, whatever it takes.

Now let’s talk about Peyton. When you try to decide who is the greatest _______ of all time, you have to take into account many, many factors. There are very few athletes in any sport who can without debate, be considered the greatest of all time. Michael Jordan as the greatest NBA star of all time is about as close as you can get. Maybe another day we will debate those other sports, but right now I want to focus on football. I heard the analogy of the greatest quarterbacks sitting at the table and trying to decide who should be at the head of the table. If you don’t think that Manning deserves to be at that table and at least in the discussion, you can stop reading now because logic doesn’t apply to you. Championship rings do matter. But they are not the only criteria to being a great quarterback. Dan Marino is widely considered one of the greatest QB’s of all time; in fact he is often considered the greatest without a championship. That was Manning’s tag until he won a Super Bowl. Now it’s, one isn’t enough. I contend that Manning, like Marino before him, and Tom Brady now, make their teams achieve more than they would have otherwise. Miami hasn’t done squat since Marino retired. They can’t find the next Marino. Manning not only set the season record for TD’s this year, but he did it by having 5 different players catch 10 or more TD passes. Tom Brady wins with guys we’ve never heard of. I still try and go by what I heard Joe Morgan say one time about trying to say who was the greatest of all time. You really can’t compare players from different eras. What you can do though is compare their numbers to those who they played with and against. By that standard, what Marino accomplished statistically, if not with championships, puts him in the conversation. He put up numbers in a time when defense ruled the game, all but his Miami defenses. Hence, no Super Bowl victories. And Peyton, only Tom Brady is really in the same category as him. Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Aaron Rogers are all great QB’s and you could make an argument for them, but what Peyton has done at this point of his career puts him right at the top if not on top. Greatest of all time? Maybe, maybe not. But the abuse he is taking for his playoff record and Super Bowl record is to me, a little ridiculous.

So rock on Richard Sherman and Peyton Manning. Both of you, and your teams, had great seasons.

By the way, my wife loves Peyton Manning. I think if he were to walk into the room…wait a minute that gives me an idea. Does anyone have a Peyton Manning jersey I can borrow?

MLB Hall of Fame

If you are a fan of baseball then by now you should be aware that Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Frank Thomas have all been elected to the MLB Hall of Fame. There is no real argument from anyone that those three deserve to be enshrined. The system they use to determine who gets in and who doesn’t is really a simple process. A number of reporters who are a part of the Baseball Writers Association of America are sent ballots and they vote on eligible retired players. If 75% of the people feel like they are Hall of Fame worthy, then they get in. If less than 75% feel that way then they do not. That sounds simple enough. The problem is in all the other rules. Deciding who gets to vote is another issue that I may take up later but for now I want to focus on the process. First of all a player has to have 10 or more years of experience and been retired for 5 years. At that time they come on the ballot. Each voter can only vote for 10 players in any one year. I don’t think there has ever been a year where 10 players retired at the same time and were are all HOF worthy. The problem is if the player doesn’t make the 75% cutoff, then they stay on the ballot for 15 years or until they drop below 5% of the total vote. Therefore, the ballot can get crammed. This has especially been an issue as more and more “steroid era” players are coming up for election. Why? Because some voters don’t think anyone in the steroid era should be eligible or at a minimum feel like anyone accused should be kept out. Since there are others who vote on them regardless, there are many who would otherwise be in that are hovering in that 5% - 75% range. That means as more of these HOF worthy players come up for election it makes it harder to vote for only 10. The most shameful part about this year’s voting involves Craig Biggio. He missed the 75% cutoff by 2 votes. He deserves to be in. I say that’s the most shameful thing but perhaps it is that Greg Maddux was actually left off of some peoples ballots. Are you kidding me? I will attempt to address these two issues in later posts. For now I’ll just leave you with this little nugget. I have watched all three of these inductees play in person. I saw Maddux and Glavine multiple times while they were with the Braves and Thomas when he was at Auburn and they came to Clemson to play while I was a student there. Yes, he was big and strong then too. 

New Year

With the new year upon us it is time for some new posts. I don't know what direction 2014 will take me but I will attempt to post on a more regular basis. Perhaps we can team up with I'm Just Sayin...again this year and give you a "Best of" series similar to last year's Greatest of All Time baseball list. We'll see...for now though I just wanted the link on his site to show a post more recent than "1 month ago."

He counted on me to be passive…

I have to give credit where credit is due. It appears that I have struck a nerve with our friends over at I’m Just Sayin’…It is hard to argue with the events spelled out by Mr. I’m Just Sayin’… What he has failed to tell you thought is the rest of the story. After his little rant about the “truth” it went a little more like this:

Mr. I’m Just Sayin…: …Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!

Sonny: Are you a Communist Yankee sympathizer?

Mr. I’m Just Sayin…: I pull for the team I …

Sonny: Are you a Communist Yankee Sympathizer?

Mr. I’m Just Sayin…: You’re G**D*** right I am!

Since he rested his case it is now in the hands of you, the jury. Mr. Foreman, have you reached a verdict?

He did erroneously point out that I said the darkest day in history was the death of Apollo Creed. I said it was one of the darkest days. That might just put enough reasonable doubt into his version of the truth.

This just in…

At 7 o'clock this evening eastern time technology forces of the Upstate of South Carolina launched a series of strikes against the headquarters, terrorist facilities, and technology assets that support Mr. I’m Just Sayin…’s…subversive activities. The attacks were concentrated and carefully targeted to minimize casualties among the world wide web of people with whom we have no quarrel. From initial reports, our forces have succeeded in their mission.

Several weeks ago in Lake Oconee, GA, I warned Mr. I’m Just Sayin…we would hold his regime accountable for any new terrorist attacks launched against American citizens.

Our evidence is direct; it is precise; it is irrefutable. We have solid evidence about other attacks Mr. I’m Just Sayin… has planned against the United States blogger installations and diplomats and even American NBA fans.

Mr. I’m Just Sayin…is not only an enemy of the Upstate of South Carolina. His record of subversion and aggression against the neighboring Bloggers is well documented and well known. He has ordered the slander of fellow Bloggers in countless counties. He has sanctioned acts of terror in Pure Joy, outbehindthewoodshed, and Our Life, as well as at Sonny’Side. Today we have done what we had to do. If necessary, we shall do it again. It gives me no pleasure to say that, and I wish it were otherwise. Before Mr. I’m Just Sayin… seized power in 2009, the people of Google had been friends of the United States. And I'm sure that today most Bloggers are ashamed and disgusted that this man has made their passion for prose a synonym for barbarism around the internet. The Blogging people are a decent people caught in the grip of a tyrant.

It must be the core of Southern policy that there be no sanctuary for terror. And to sustain such a policy, free men and free nations must unite and work together. Sometimes it is said that by imposing sanctions against Mr. I’m Just Sayin…or by striking at his terrorist installations we only magnify the man's importance, that the proper way to deal with him is to ignore him. I do not agree.

Long before I started this blog, Mr. I’m Just Sayin…had engaged in acts of international terror, acts that put him outside the company of civilized men. For years, however, he suffered no economic or political or military sanction; and the atrocities mounted in number, as did the innocent dead and wounded. And for us to ignore by inaction the slander of American civilians and American NBA fans, whether in person or online, is simply not in the Southern American tradition. When our citizens are abused or attacked anywhere in the world on the direct orders of a hostile regime, we will respond so long as I'm writing this blog. Self-defense is not only our right, it is our duty. It is the purpose behind the mission undertaken tonight, a mission fully consistent with Article 51 of the Blogger Nations Charter.

We believe that this preemptive action against his terrorist installations will not only diminish Mr. I’m Just Sayin…capacity to export terror, it will provide him with incentives and reasons to alter his criminal behavior. I have no illusion that tonight's action will ring down the curtain on Mr. I’m Just Sayin…’s reign of terror. But this mission, violent though it was, can bring closer a safer and more secure world for decent men and women. We will persevere. This afternoon we consulted with the readers of blogs everywhere regarding what we were about to do and why. Tonight I salute the skill and professionalism of the men and women of our Technology Forces who carried out this mission. It's an honor to be your Commander in Chief.

We Americans are slow to anger. We always seek peaceful avenues before resorting to the use of force -- and we did. We tried quiet diplomacy, public condemnation, economic sanctions, and demonstrations of literary force. None succeeded. Despite our repeated warnings, Mr. I’m Just Sayin…continued his reckless policy of intimidation, his relentless pursuit of terror. He counted on Sonny to be passive. He counted wrong. I warned that there should be no place on Earth where terrorists can rest and train and practice their deadly skills. I meant it. I said that we would act with others, if possible, and alone if necessary to ensure that terrorists have no sanctuary anywhere. Tonight, we have.

Thank you, and God bless you.

http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1986/41486g.htm

“If he dies, he dies.”

It appears that the writer who claims the Nets (3-7) will win the NBA championship is trying to get you to focus on a minor reason I was shocked to hear he chose them this year. Their location and owner are just a couple of the circumstances that have to be overcome to justify him pulling for the Nets. Like any good politician, however, Mr. I’m Just Sayin’…is drawing your attention away from his inability to satisfactorily respond to the opportunity to justify his pick. Instead he wants you to think I am the one acting irrationally. Let’s get a few things straight here. His argument that I am contradicting myself by pulling for individuals from places like Michigan, Indiana, and North Carolina is weak at best. Michigan and Indiana are Mid-west, not north. It doesn’t matter how far toward Canada you go, the mid-west is still the mid-west. Also, while I did appreciate their talent (Magic and Bird), I did not pull for their respective teams (Lakers and Celtics). I did pull for Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls which are, once again, mid-west. Also, at that time there was not a current President from that city so I can’t be held responsible for the events since then. As for what appears to be his only justification for pulling for them, the fact that Kevin Garnett is on the team, doesn’t quite hold up under more scrutiny.

Mr. I’m Just Sayin’…, I know where Kevin Garnett’s high school is. I coached against Kevin Garnett’s high school. I saw Kevin Garnett play in person. Mr. I’m Just Sayin’…, you are no friend of Kevin Garnett.

Also, I did not room with a guy from New Jersey my last couple of years in college…I roomed with THREE guys from New Jersey. I believe that gives me the credibility I need to make such statements about that part of the country. In fact, my influence over them was so great that had the Carolina Panthers been in existence during my time in college, I would have had no trouble converting them into Panthers fans from New York Giants fans.

Finally, no one from my generation will ever forget one of the darkest days in history…the death of Apollo Creed. The title of this post is from the Russian boxer who was indifferent to weather the greatest boxing champion of all time (until Rocky beat him) would survive after his “exhibition match.” To pull for a team that is owned by someone from a country who promotes that kind of violence is inexcusable. Communism or no communism. Berlin Wall or no Berlin Wall. The wounds are just too deep for me to overcome.

Mr. I’m Just Sayin’…, if your conscience is still clear then let’s focus on the question at hand.  Why are you really pulling for the Brooklyn Nets this year?

NBA

There has really been a lot to talk about when it comes to the sports represented by these three organizations: the NBA, the NFL, and MLB. I will begin with the National Basketball Association because I read on another blog about how the Brooklyn Nets would win the title this year. That will not happen. Before I tell you why let me begin by saying that over the last 3-4 years I have really become an NBA fan again. If you can look past the overwhelming number of tattoos on the players you can really see some amazing talent in the league right now. I grew up in the Magic, Bird, Jordan, etc. era and when they all began to retire I began to lose interest in the style of play in the NBA. I preferred the team effort that was so apparent in college basketball over what appeared to be a more one-on-one game in the pros. As I have watched more and more over the years I now have a greater appreciation for the value of the rest of the team along with the super-stars. Speaking of super-stars, the NBA is full of them again. There have always been several greats of the game during the time since Michael Jordan retired, but the amount of young talent right now is as high as I have seen it in a while. One such talent is LeBron James. I am guilty of watching the ESPN special of him announcing where he would sign a few years ago. I was really hoping he would stay in Cleveland but didn’t really care where he went. Of course he went to Miami which is why the Nets will not only miss the Championship Series, they won’t get out if the Eastern Conference. LeBron has become such a complete player that he not only can take the team on his back, but he has made those around him better. All the great championship teams have had more than one superstar because in the game of basketball, one guy can’t do it all every night. LeBron has matured to the point now that he realizes the mistake he made in broadcasting his desire to “take his talents to South Beach.” He has also matured on the court to the point that his team will, for the foreseeable future, be the team to beat. There is part of me that wants him to silence the critics and win seven titles (one more than Jordan). However, there is also a part of me that would like to see one of the other great super-stars of the game get one for themselves. Chris Paul is right now the best point guard in the game so he along with Blake Griffin could win with the LA Clippers. Kevin Durant, maybe the second best player in the NBA deserves one. I would love to see one of the “local” teams (Atlanta or Charlotte) win it all. The Hawks have a much better chance than the Bobcats, but the Michael Jordan owned Bobcats would be a refreshing upset. Indiana and Chicago probably have the best chance in the East to knock off the Heat. San Antonio, Golden State, Memphis, Oklahoma City and Houston are probably along with the Clippers, favorites out West. But to pull for a Russian owned, former New Jersey team that has been relocated to Brooklyn New York, team is mind-boggling. Perhaps the writer of that blog would care to expand on those great reasons to pull for the Nets so he doesn’t lose credibility with his South Carolina readers. 

October 27, 2013

This is the final sermon post for the month. We usually have a guest speaker during our service on the last Sunday of October. He comes and talks about the work the Gideon International group does. If you have every been in a motel and opened the night stand drawer, then you have seen the fruits of their labor. Because of his participation in the service my sermon is a little shorter. It also has some sentences scattered in there that are reminders for me in case I need to adjust the length of the sermon right before I begin so this one might not be written as well as some of my other ones. In any case, I hope you have received some measure of blessing from reading these posts this month. Each sermon I prepare is based on something I need to hear so if I need it, perhaps someone else out there does too. 

Current Conditions

Jeremiah 29:4-14

October 27, 2013

⁴ Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵ Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. ⁶ Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. ⁷ But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. ⁸ For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, ⁹ for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says the Lord. ¹⁰ For thus says the Lord: Only when Babylon’s seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. ¹¹ For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. ¹² Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.¹³ When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, ¹⁴ I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

The Word of the Lord

(Thanks be to God)

Usually when we hear the term “current conditions” we think about the weather. We might pull out our smart phone and click on the weather channel app and check to see what the temperature is outside. Just like it’s been cold here this weekend, so to were the hearts of the people of Israel toward God during the time of the prophet Jeremiah. His message was one of repentance initially but actually turned into a message of destruction. God told Jeremiah in chapter 1 that he was chosen before he was formed in the womb and that he was consecrated as a prophet even before his birth. Jeremiah was warned that his message would not be popular but that God would always be with him. So what was his message? That the nation would be conquered and people would be sent into exile from their homeland. All this is going to come about because of the actions of the people. The most heinous of them was their pattern of idolatry. They had made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands. (Jer 1: 16) Because of this turning away from God He was going to bring their enemies from the north down to destroy Jerusalem and scatter the inhabitants. You can imagine that this was not a popular message to hear. Jeremiah was severely scorned for telling the people how bad they have been and how it is now time to feel the wrath of God’s judgment against them. He was forced on a couple of occasions to hide in fear for his life because the leaders of the nation were direct targets of Jeremiah’s writings and they were not happy about it.

How many of you would rather turn on the TV and hear someone talking about how blessed we are to live in this country and how we are blessed by God and everything is going great? All we have to do is keep doing what we are doing and just believe in God and all you troubles will disappear. Or would a message like we are sinning against the Lord by worshiping things other than Him and our time is coming when we will no longer be a nation and we will be conquered and sent from our homes be what you would rather hear? That is what Jeremiah was up against. The people didn’t want to hear his message. God had protected them in the past so they weren’t worried about it. The problem is they had turned from God with their worshiping habits so God was about to lift that protection from them. Jeremiah was letting them know that.

Edward Snowden is currently seeking asylum outside of the US for his actions in leaking documents about the US government. Now I am not comparing his actions with those of Jeremiah from the standpoint of right or wrong, but what I want you to think about is what Snowden is going through and how it compares to what Jeremiah went through. Both had some scathing things to say about the leadership of their country. Jeremiah very much loved his country and it pained him to see the people living in such a manner that God saw it necessary to exact judgment on them. Yet, he continued to deliver the message in spite of the dangers it posed to his own well-being. Snowden, right or wrong, is running under the same kind of fear for his safety because of his message. Jeremiah was a prophet of God. He was sent by God to deliver a message directly to the people. I don’t believe that Edward Snowden is a prophet of God. But you can get a sense of how Jeremiah felt when his countrymen, friends, and even family began to turn against him because of the destruction he was foretelling.

Our passage today contains a very popular verse, “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” When we single out that verse and focus only on it, it appears to give us a promise of a successful and pain free life. I do believe that this verse contains a promise to us today but we really need to look at it in the context of the rest of the writing to get a true sense of what all that promise contains. Our selection this morning is part of a letter written to the Jews in Babylon from Jeremiah contradicting what Hananiah, a self proclaimed prophet of God, had recently told them. Hananiah tells the people in exile that God is not going to leave them in this foreign land for 70 years as has been prophesied, but that he is in fact going to deliver them back to their homeland in two short years. He claims to be speaking on behalf of God and has a message that certainly is acceptable to the people. In the preceding chapter Jeremiah has an exchange with him over his prediction. He basically says that I hope you are right and the displacement only lasts two years, but I hate to tell you this, but that isn’t what God told me. Hananiah, then in a powerful display breaks the wooden yoke that is around Jeremiah’s neck and likens it to God breaking the yoke around the people that Nebuchadnezzar has on them. Jeremiah’s response is that the wooden yoke will now be replaced by a yoke of iron. He then goes on to predict the death of Hananiah with in the year. The last verse of chapter 28 tells us that he did die in the seventh month of that year. His death is the result of claiming to speak for God when he did not. That had to be disheartening to the exiles because their hope of a quick return appears to be dashed. So Jeremiah writes the letter to the exiles telling them how to live. He tells them to settle down, get married, marry off their children, and basically settle in for the long haul. This means that there are those among them that will never see their homeland again. 70 years is longer than most of them will live so put returning out of your mind and make the best of your current situation.

Story of Joseph sold into slavery as Biblical example of taken from homeland. It is all about perspective. From God’s point of view this was a good thing for the Israelites and Joseph came to understand that as well.

Speaking of perspective: Illustration: It’s something like what Coach John McKay of Southern Cal said to his team after they had been humiliated 51-0 by Notre Dame in 1966. McKay came into the locker room and saw a group of beaten worn-out and thoroughly depressed young football players who were not accustomed to losing. He stood up on a bench and said, "Men, let’s keep this in perspective. There are 800 million Chinese who don’t even know this game was played." That’s what you call perspective.
(SOURCE: Steve Farrar, "Family Survival in the American Jungle," 1991, Multnomah Press, p. 40.)

Imagine if in you were suddenly plucked from the United States and forced to live in Nazi Germany in the 40’s, or the Soviet Union in the last half of the 20^th century, or now taken to an Islamic Middle Eastern country and told you would be there 70 years so you might as well make the best of it. Jeremiah even goes on to say that the people should pray for Babylon and its success. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. These are not easy words to hear. Hananiah’s message was much better. However, his message was not from God. Jeremiah goes on to warn them not to listen to those diviners who claim to speak for God; they are deceivers and are not sent by God. But all is not lost for the people of Israel. What follows is that popular verse. For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. The promise is to the nation of Israel that He will restore them to their homeland; that they will not cease to exist as a nation. Individually, there will be heartbreak and suffering. But as a nation they will rise again from their captors.

In closing, how does this apply to us today? One viewpoint is we are all exiles from that perfect homeland called heaven. While we spend our time here on earth we are to make the best of our current situation. If we look at it in more of a microscopic view, our present situation, where we live and work, who we associate with; we are in those positions because God has us there. We are to make the best of our current condition until that time that God sees fit to place us somewhere else. If you look back on your life and the journey you have embarked on, I think you will see those times in your life that didn’t make sense at the time but now have a clearer meaning because of where you are now. Sometimes there are things we yet do not see their value but God will show us in His time. God does surely know the plans he has for us and those plans are certainly for a future of hope, but He requires of us to make the best of our current condition, through both the good times and the bad times, until that time comes when we see His plan fulfilled.

Let us pray.

October 20, 2013

One of the responsibilities I have during the month of October is to lead our church in worship each Sunday. Our small church has a retired minister as our stated supply (Presbyterian term) who takes a sabbatical during October (a well deserved one I might add.) A few years ago he asked if I would speak in his absence and the rest, as they say, is history. I am going to attempt to post my sermons for this month here on this blog.

Disclaimer: What I am going to post is going to be a rough attempt at a transcript of what I actually say. Now I am creating this transcript before I speak so it isn’t really a word for word transcript. Also, when I write a paper I try to use sentence structure and vocabulary and all those things you learned about in school correctly. I do try and speak professionally as well but my point is don’t grade this as a writing, but as a speech. Even then I hope you get the point of the message and don’t get caught up in the grammatical issues. Feel free to comment.

Charge My Account

Philemon 1: 1-25

October 20, 2013

¹ Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, ² to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.⁴ When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God ⁵ because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. ⁶ I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. ⁷ I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.⁸ For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, ⁹ yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. ¹⁰ I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. ¹¹ Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. ¹² I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. ¹³ I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; ¹⁴ but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. ¹⁵ Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, ¹⁶ no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.¹⁷ So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸ If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. ¹⁹ I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. ²⁰ Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. ²¹ Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.²² One thing more—prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be restored to you.²³ Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, ²⁴ and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.²⁵ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

The Word of the Lord

(Thanks be to God)

Once upon a time in their marriage, a man did something really stupid. His wife chewed him out for it. He apologized, they made up.
However, from time to time, the wife mentions what he had done. "Honey," the man finally said one day, "why do you keep bringing that up? I thought your policy was 'forgive and forget.'"
"It is," she said. "I just don't want you to forget that I've forgiven and forgotten."

As I researched this book I discovered a couple of different viewpoints on some of the details of the story. Things like Onesimus’ actual relationship with Philemon or how he came to meet up with Paul. I decided to take a particular approach which seems to be the most popular but no matter how you deal with some of the details of the story, I do not think the message of the book changes. As with all these Biblical stories whether they are actual events or parables, the purpose of including them in the Biblical Cannon is based on their inspiration and benefit to us as a guide to Christian living. So as we look at this passage this morning do not get hung up on details of the story but focus on the message of the letter. So what are some of those details?

The book or letter to Philemon was written by the Apostle Paul in or around 60 AD. It is considered one of the four prison epistles written by Paul. (Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians are the other three.) This letter is one of the letters attributed to Paul that most scholars agree was written by Paul. Many of his other letters are disputed as to the authorship, but not Philemon.

We have three main characters in this passage. First we have Paul, a leader in the Church who was currently in prison. As you know Paul was once a devout Jew and Pharisee who was a chief persecutor of early Christians. After his conversion, he became a great saver of souls and one of those he converted to Christianity was Philemon. Philemon, by all accounts was a wealthy man. He apparently had a house big enough to host the worship services of the newly formed church in Colossae. He and Paul were brothers in Christ but there was also that mentor-mentee relationship between them and therefore a great deal of respect between them. In addition to his material wealth he also had slaves. One of those was named Onesimus. Onesimus must have done something pretty bad so he ran away from Philemon. Perhaps he stole money or at the very least did something that caused Philemon to lose money. The letter never states exactly what he did but according to Paul in verse 11, “Formerly he was useless to you.”

Now that we know the main characters let us look at the letter itself. Paul, after an introduction, begins to commend Philemon for the work that he is doing in the church and how much joy it brings him to know of his love for the work they are both doing for Christ. Paul spends the first seven verses “buttering him up” for what comes beginning in verse eight. That is not to say that Paul does not genuinely believe all those nice things he said about Philemon, but they were strategically placed at the beginning of the letter. Then in verses eight and nine he makes a very bold statement, “For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, ⁹ yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus.” Paul realizes that he is in a position of leadership within the church and has the right to demand that Philemon grant the request he is about to make. But instead, he appeals to him on the basis of love and on the fact that he is an old man who is in prison for doing the work of Jesus Christ. Even though he is not “forcing” Philemon to do something he is making it awful hard for him to resist. But it is still the choice of Philemon to make. As of yet, however, Paul has not even alerted him to what this request is going to be. Then verse ten, “I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment.” There it is. Onesimus. Imagine reading this letter and from the beginning you are being told what a wonderful person you are and how much you are appreciated. After that introduction Philemon was probably thinking of course I’ll do what you ask Paul, as good as you have been to me it is the least I can do. Then he reads that name and all those happy feelings have now turned to anger. Here is a slave that caused him pain and loss and now he is being called a child of your mentor. Any number of thoughts could have gone through Philemon’s mind at the sight of that name and more than likely they were not good ones. Yet here is his mentor calling this man his son. Paul is not through. He realizes that this slave was once useless to Philemon but now claims that he is useful to both of them. He is sending his own heart back to Philemon. The question then becomes why is Paul sending him back if he finds him so useful where he is now? He answers that in the next verse. He could have pulled rank on Philemon and compelled him to free the man into his service but he chooses to give the choice to Philemon because he realizes how much more meaningful that would be. Think about it from the standpoint of someone offering you an apology. When someone is genuinely sorry for something and they come to you by their own accord, the apology just means more. When people are forced to apologize for something they said or did it loses some of its effectiveness. As a teacher I would much rather have a student recognize a mistake, take ownership of it, and apologize to me than sit in a parent conference and have the parent tell the child to apologize for their behavior. Sometimes it is helpful to have someone to point out the mistakes we have made so we then can seek forgiveness on our own. That is not even really what Paul is doing here. It’s not Philemon that has done anything wrong. In fact, it is his legal right to take back and punish the runaway slave. What Paul is trying to do is give him the chance to reject his legal right over Onesimus and recognize him as a brother in Christ. The letter never goes into what Onesimus said by way of apology or if he came to Paul remorseful or if Paul had to pull the confession out of him. Regardless of how it all played out between Paul and Onesimus, Paul now thinks of him as a son so he clearly believes Onesimus had adequately repented. Paul goes on to say in verses 17-19, “So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸ If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. ¹⁹ I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it.” It was common for Paul and other letter writers to have a scribe actually write for them while they would dictate the document. Here Paul either has written this whole letter himself or maybe even more powerfully just written that last statement in his own handwriting. Either way Philemon would have recognized his handwriting and understood Paul was serious about taking on this man’s debt. He begins to wind down the letter by saying he knows Philemon will do even more than he asks and asks him to prepare a room for him as he hopes to visit soon. Then the letter concludes by sending the greetings of his other companions.

That was kind of a brief overview of what this letter contains and we could go into greater detail about each sentence if we wanted to but there are a few main points I think this letter expresses and I would like to address. One is the issue of slavery. Let me just touch on this topic briefly as it relates to this letter. Many proponents of slavery in the past used this letter as justification for the practice. Interestingly, many opponents to slavery also pointed to this letter as a reason it should be outlawed. Paul and for that matter Jesus never directly attempted to abolish the practice of slavery. In the Roman culture during this time it was very common for rich citizens to own slaves. Jesus, and therefore Paul after him, did not take the approach of trying to end slavery by publicly admonishing it. Rather they tried to change the culture from within. Christian principals teach a lowering of oneself into service of others for the good of God’s kingdom. When we truly take on a position of service in our hearts then the thought of owning a person like a piece of property no longer seems like the right thing to do. As we mentioned before, Philemon was by all accounts a good Christian man and leader in the church in Colossae yet he had slaves. Since Paul is sending Onesimus back it appears that Paul is endorsing slavery and rightfully returning him to his master. But I think a closer examination of the text reveals the opposite. Paul chooses to use his method of persuasion to try and convince Philemon to forgive Onesimus and hopefully do more than that. What more could he do but change his status from runaway slave to brother in Christ? I believe we could have a much deeper discussion and theological debate on this topic but that will have to be saved for another day.

Another underlying theme of this letter is the relationship between two people and how that relationship affects a third person. Paul has that mentor status with Philemon. I can think of many examples of how there are people out there that have the kind of credibility with others that Paul has with Philemon. Imagine how many young baseball pitchers would show up to a clinic on pitching if the likes of a Clayton Kershaw or Justin Verlander were to be there. (Or for you baseball fans my age and older a Greg Maddux or Sandy Koufax.) How about a quarterback camp with Payton Manning or Tom Brady? (Dan Marino and Joe Montana) If someone like Charles Stanley or David Jeremiah or if you are not familiar with them, Billy Graham were to come and lead a Bible study, how many would come to learn? Now imagine that you had a personal relationship with one of those people and they came to you personally and asked you to do something. Would you be able to refuse? Paul is appealing to Philemon’s sense of respect for what Paul has done for him and even mentions that he is responsible for introducing him to his new life in Christ. It’s almost like he is making him an offer that he can’t refuse. But, he can. There are no threats or consequences laid down by Paul if he refuses to accept Onesimus back. He just presents a case so compelling and couple that with the respect Philemon has for Paul, and you have a situation where it is nearly impossible to deny the request. Think for a moment about someone in your life that you hold in a place of honor such that if they made a request of you that you would be willing to do it. Maybe it is a parent, grandparent, or other family member. Perhaps you have a friend that has earned your respect to a level that you would be willing to go against what appears to be popularly accepted and do what is right in the sight of God. Maybe you have a mentor in your professional life that showed you how to run a business or how to advance within the company you both worked for. What about a coach who taught you more than just how to play a sport, but about how to live your life? Or a music teacher who instilled in you a love of music and not just the technical aspects of playing an instrument? These are just a few of the possible relationships that we can have that can positively affect our daily lives. What about from Paul’s point of view? Are you a mentor to someone else? Have you earned the respect of a family member, friend, or coworker to the point that you can have a positive influence on their life? The relationship Paul has with Philemon allows him to put into action the process of mending a relationship with a mutual acquaintance. Paul lived his life in such a manner that he could build the kind of friendships that helps advance the kingdom of God. Our challenge is to emulate that kind of life.

Maybe the most important component of this letter is its emphasis on forgiveness. Onesimus clearly did something wrong and fled as a result. The fear of what would happen to him sent him far away from his master Philemon. But look what happened on his journey. He runs smack into Paul. He listens to his message about Christ and his offer of forgiveness and realizes his own need for forgiveness. As Onesimus became closer to Paul he probably confessed to him what he was running from. Imagine the look on his face when Paul informs him that he knows Philemon very well. Onesimus has a decision to make. Does he flee again or does he hope for the forgiveness that he heard Paul preaching about? This is faith in action. He has faith that Paul’s relationship with Philemon will allow him the opportunity to reconcile his differences. Paul is even willing to assume his debt so all he has to do is throw himself to the mercy of his master.

Last week we looked at a parable told by Jesus that dealt with forgiveness but this is not part two of a series of sermons on forgiveness. This is a completely different situation, one that actually happened and is not just a story to drive home a point. Yet, the common thread is the need to forgive. Paul in other letters that he wrote encourages us to be imitators of Christ. He then goes on to say that if nothing else, imitate me because I am spending my life in the pursuit of Christ-like service. Here is an example of him doing just that. He tells Philemon to “charge that to my account.” Paul is willing to assume the debt of one who has shown faith in the message he has been preaching. Is that not exactly what Christ has done for us? On the surface this letter looks like just a correspondence from one man to another trying to reconcile differences with a third man. Why then is it included in the Biblical cannon? Perhaps because it is a perfect representation of what God does for us through Jesus Christ? We sin against our Master and flee only to be drawn back to the one who is willing to take on our debts and say, “Charge that to my account.” We’ve all been in Onesimus’ position where we find ourselves in need of forgiveness. We try to run from the situation but end up running into the Holy Spirit that draws us back to Christ. We’ve also found ourselves in Philemon’s position; a position where we need to extend that forgiveness to someone else. Sometimes we need the encouragement of a mentor and sometimes we just need to be still and listen for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Either way we can rest in the knowledge that our faith in Christ gives us access to the one, the only one, who is both willing and able to say before the Father, “Charge that to my account.”

Let us pray.